Kneeling dolly



May 4, 1943. F. T. c oPER 2,318,059

KNEELING DOLLY Filed Sept. 5; 1940 4a a f!- INVENTOR. F/ A/wr .7. Coo zgg.

AT TOR NEYS.

Patented May 4, 1943 U N [TED ST 171i orrice 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a kneeling dolly or the like, and will be described more particularly in connection with a device adapted for use by a scrub woman in scrubbing floors and the like. It will be clear that a device according to my invention is capable of use in any field in which a person is required to kneel.

Kneeling pads of various sorts are well known. Such pads are often of very thick sponge rubber and wear out rather quickly by contact with the floor. The kneeling position is a very uncomfortable position because of the fact that the weight rests upon the knees and shins, and it is therefore an object of my invention to provide a device which will give increased comfort to a person in th kneeling position.

It is another object of my invention to provide a device as above outlined which will be very simple and inexpensive in construction, but which will at the same time be more durable and comfortable than any devices of which I am aware.

These and other objects of my invention which will be pointed out in more detail hereinafter, or which will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading these specifications, I accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts of which I shall now describe an exemplary embodiment. I

Reference is now made to the drawing forming a part hereof and in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a kneeling dolly according to my invention.

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the same as seen from the bottom of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same as seen from the right of Figure 2, with parts broken away to show the construction.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view also on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 1.

Briefly in the practice of my invention I provide a kneeling dolly which I prefer to make essentially from a single piece of sheet metal. It will be clear that the dolly may be made from other materials, such as molded plastics and the like, or cast from a light alloy. In the claims, the term sheet material is inclusive of a casting. This may easily be accomplished by a stamping or forming operation. The dolly is mounted on casters, two of the casters being attached to platforms which may be spot-welded to the underneath side of the dolly. The dolly is provided with two depressed portions adapted to fit the knees and at least a part of the shins of a human being, and I provide means between the knee portions for housing illuminating means or the like.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, the dolly comprisesprimarily a stamping indicated generally at [0, having the knee portions II and I2 which are suitably shaped for comfort. Between the knee portions is provided a housing portion l3 within which, as will be described hereinafter, an electric light may be mounted.

A raised portion I4 extends along the sides and front of the dolly.

The dolly is mounted for easy movement on conventional casters, the rear casters being indicated generally at 15 and the forward casters at I6. The casters l5 may be mounted as shown in Figures 4 and 5 directly on the underside of the member H] as by spot-welding or the like. The casters ii are mounted on platform elements I! which are provided with the attaching flanges l8, l9 and 2B. The flanges l8 and I9 are spotwelded to the front and side walls of the dolly respectively, and the flange 20 is spot-welded to the underside of the knee portion as shown in dotted lines in Figure l. The casters It may be attached to the platform I! by spot-welding.

Within the housing element It I may provide a socket element 2| in which is mounted an electric light bulb 22 and an attachment cord shown at 23. It will be observed that a circular perforation is formed in the front wall 24 of the dolly, the edges of which perforation are turned inwardly to give a finished appearance as indicated at 25. Light from the bulb 22 may emerge through the opening in the wall 24, and of course light will pass downwardly to illuminate the floor, since the underside of the dolly is unobstructed.

It will be clear that instead of providing for illumination with an electric light bulb requiring house current, it is within the scope of this invention to provide for the support of a battery within the housing element [3 and to use a smaller bulb if desired.

While it is not necessary in a dolly according to my invention to provide any padding in the knee portions ll and [2, it may be desirable for further added comfort to provide some sort of padding. It is of course within the scope of my invention to place in the knee portions II and I2 a relatively thin sheet of sponge rubber or other soft material as indicated at 26 in Figure 4. I have found, however, that adequate comfort may be had without such padding,

Itwill be clear that numerous modifications may be made in my invention without departing from the spirit thereof, and I therefore do not intend to limit myself except as pointed out in the claims which follow.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A kneeling dolly or the like comprising a generally rectangular sheet-like element formed to provide depressions of a size and shape to conform to the human knee and part at least of the human shin over a substantial area, said element being formed to provide front and side walls, and a relatively flat portion at the rear of said body beyond said depressions, said walls extending upwardly and then curved to extend downwardly, caster supporting platforms fixed to the inner faces of the downwardly extending wall portions and to the under side of the body at the forward ends of the depressions, and casters fixed to said body at the rear thereof.

2. A kneeling dolly or the like comprising a rigid material formed to provide a generally rectangular body having spaced depressions therein of a size and shape to conform in a plurality of directions to the average human knee and a part of the human shin, the said depressions being surrounded on at least three sides by a ridge and having a depth such that, if the human knee were likened to a sphere it would be supported over substantially the lower third of its surface, the said depressions merging with said ridges in outwardly curving planes.

3. The structure claimed in claim 2 wherein said ridge member is a substantially peripheral ridge on said body lying on three sides thereof, and on two opposite ones of said sides tapers downwardly to meet the lower level of the fourth side of said body.

4. The structure claimed in claim 2 wherein said ridge member is a substantially peripheral ridge on said body lying on three sides thereof, and on two opposite ones of said sides tapers downwardly to meet the lower level of the fourth side of said body, and in which there is a ridge member lying between said spaced depressions and of such substantial breadth and depth that when hollowed it can provide a housing for a light or other element placed therein.

FRANK T. COOPER. 

